1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for mounting a plurality of circuit components on a circuit substrate and thereby producing an electric circuit.
2. Related Art Statement
It is practiced to test, when an electric circuit ("EC") is produced by mounting a plurality of circuit components ("CCs") on a circuit substrate ("CS"), a state in which the CCs are mounted on the CS. For example, it is judged whether one or more CCs have not been mounted on a CS, and/or whether a position where a CC is mounted on a CS, or an attitude taken by a CC mounted on a CS is not appropriate. This test may be performed after CCs are temporarily fixed to a CS with an adhesive, a solder paste, or the like, or after the CCs are finally fixed to the CS by hardening the adhesive, soldering the solder paste, or the like. In the former case, even if the test shows that one or more CCs have not been mounted, or have not been appropriately mounted, on a CS, the CCs can be finally fixed to the CS after an operator removes those problems. Thus, the yield of good electric circuits is improved. Alternatively, the operator can discard one or more CSs for which some problem relating to the mounting of one or more CCs thereon has been found. Thus, no useless, finally fixing operation is performed. In addition, it is possible to identify a position error of a CC which is produced in a temporarily fixing operation, from that produced in a finally fixing operation. In the last case, the operator can take appropriate measures against each of those problems.
However, in the conventional manner, a test after a temporarily fixing operation is performed after all CCs are mounted on a CS. Hence, it is required to dispose a testing device between a CC mounting device which temporarily fixes the CCs to the CS, and a finally fixing device such as a hardening furnace which finally fixes the CCs to the CS. This leads to increasing the overall length of an EC assembly line and the cost of the same.